


Tit for Tat

by yoonyul4eva



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 09:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15410295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoonyul4eva/pseuds/yoonyul4eva
Summary: As always, Wendy is spotted in a fancam about how she's always the one trying to approach Irene instead of the other way around. It just so happens that Irene is always with Seulgi at that moment. Perhaps Wendy is sick of it all - sick of looking like she can't survive without Irene's attention.And maybe, just maybe...There's someone else who knows exactly what she feels.





	1. Prologue

“Unnie! Unnie!”

Irene doesn’t hear her again.

Wendy is frustrated inside. She knows fanservice is important for their fans but she has never hated shipping more than now. All this shipping and hoping for members to be together is getting on Wendy’s nerves as it should have been some time ago. There is no reason for their relationship to be jeopardized when it's all a media stunt but things are going a bit far for her liking. Wendy's own best friend, is being crazily shipped with her girlfriend, and she always finds herself feeling like the third wheel when it shouldn't be that way. 

It's ridiculous.

Until one night, Wendy has enough. She can't hold her fear in anymore and she doesn't want to be too nice; all people do is step all over her because they know she won't retaliate. Wow, Wendy really thinks she's the biggest dumbass ever. 

“I’m sleeping in the living room tonight. Goodnight.”

“Seungwan…” Irene sits up in bed, confused at the sudden cold shoulder she’s receiving from her girlfriend. She tries to reach out but her hand freezes in mid-air when Wendy reflexively pulls her wrist away. “What’s wrong?”

A scoff is the answer.

Wendy groans to herself; what's wrong? Irene must be fucking kidding herself if she can't tell where the problem lies. Irene is sharp in almost every sense of the word so it's impossible for her not to realise that this whole media stunt is taking its toll on their relationship. For God's sake, the only time this month where they actually express their feelings adequately are in airports... and that's not how a relationship works. They don't have to shout it to the world but Irene shouldn't be hanging around her best friend more than everyone else alone. 

Why not Joy or Yeri?

Why Seulgi? 

And then she spots Joy at the balcony alone, drinking.


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the beginning, guys :)  That's one of the reasons why it's still quite fluffy but this is the build-up. As you can see, Joy has already made her side of the displeasure quite visible... hehe, please stay tuned for more! This might come up to about 8-10 chapters max.

SMTOWN concert brings a lot of emotions, just like every fan feels after watching all groups unite for the ending song.

It doesn’t seem to be the case for all artistes, or bring positive vibes for a certain hamster walking with Luna. She is always left alone with other artistes, which is not an issue but walking with her girlfriend is always best. The pride she carries with her is beyond and over the top, which is understandable because of her group's amazing performance, whether it is a solo or a group one.

“Are you feeling okay, Wendy?” Luna asks good-naturedly. She can tell at one glance that Wendy is feeling jealous of her group members being this close together. She can understand. It’s perfectly normal. “Don’t be too sad! It’s just fanservice, remember?”

Of course, Wendy does.

She just hopes Irene does too.

From afar, Wendy's eagles eyes spot Seulgi running towards the center of stage with that cute cat-eared hairband. Wendy bursts out laughing at her adorable best friend; how can the older woman be so much cuter than her? Seulgi is practically perfect in Wendy’s (maybe everyone's too) eyes; she can sing, dance and has a ton of secret talents under her belt. It’s no wonder why everyone thinks she looks good with Irene; their beautiful leader. Two talented, beautiful people should end up together.

“Unnie! Unnie!”

Irene doesn’t hear her again.

Wendy is crazily frustrated inside. She knows fanservice is important for their fans but she has never hated shipping more than now. All this shipping and hoping for members to be together is getting on Wendy’s nerves as it should have been some time ago. Her silence whenever the manager suggests that they do something for fanservice has already gone above and beyond her own expectations. Just because she keeps her mouth shut doesn't mean she automatically agrees. Her hopes of her own girlfriend realizing it has also come crashing down after Irene seems more than willing to play along with the fanservice. 

And the SMTown concert ends.

Walking backstage is always a heartwarming experience because its where all artistes congratulate each other for putting on a good stage for all the fans present.

Now it just seems like a hellish nightmare.

“Oh, Wendy-ah!”

“Taeyeon-unnie,” Wendy greets with a shy smile. She might not have always idolized the latter but having another sister figure like her in the company is amazing. She laughs when Taeyeon ruffles her hair playfully, “Congratulations on the amazing solo stage again. Unnie. I hope you had fun too.”

Taeyeon merely smiles without another word. She approached Wendy because it’s obvious that Wendy is dying to go back to the waiting room, which is very unlike her normal self. Now that Wendy is genuinely thankful and cheerful around her, Taeyeon feels accomplished. She hasn’t felt sincerely happy for a long time either, not ever since she lost a dear friend who was more of a brother to her. Seeing someone else she holds close to her heart be happy because of her makes Taeyeon’s heart at ease too, especially since she failed her own best friend the last time. 

Sighing deeply, Taeyeon wraps her arms around Wendy’s equally small frame and embraces the latter tightly. She smiles when Wendy’s arms tighten around her as well; seems like a hug is good enough to at least take away some of Wendy’s frustration.

“Good job today, Seungwan.”

“Thank you, Unnie.”

The waiting room is oddly silent, Irene thinks. She scans the entire room and spots an empty chair – no wonder she feels weird; her girlfriend isn’t in the waiting room with them like she usually is. Irene wonders why it takes her so long to realize it. A few minutes is all she needs to find out what is missing in their performance but she doesn’t even realize Wendy not being there until this silence is present? Wendy being a person and her girlfriend at that… there’s already something wrong with this whole picture. Wendy should be the first one Irene notices that is missing.

“YAH! YERIM COME BACK HERE!”

Yeri squeals and runs away with Joy’s phone in hand, using their stylists and managers as human shields. She tries her best to avoid Joy’s quick hands but she can tell Joy is not really in the mood for kidding around.

“Okay, okay! I’ll give it to you.”

Joy glares at the youngest fiercely and quickly snatches her phone from Yeri’s hand, striding out of the door at once. She ignores the calling of her name and immediately plugs in her earphones with blasting music, trying to avoid bumping into any of the seniors who might be along the hallway too. There’s nothing more she wants to do than cry in bed right now – the emotions coursing through her veins are driving her crazy. She never thought this feeling would come when in company of her members, her heart aches as if there are daggers stabbing into it repetitively.

No.

Sometimes, fanservice is too much.

Her riled up thoughts are preventing her from concentrating on her surroundings; from far, Joy looks as if she’s rushing to the toilet but doesn’t want to show it on her face.

“Oh, Sooyoung-ah.”

Joy looks up and sees the one person who she doesn’t want to see at this time, really? She just nods in acknowledgement instead of her resorting to her normally clingy antics.

Seulgi is left alone in the corridor, shock written all over her face as she watches Joy storm down the hall. Joy is known to be affectionate and extremely loving towards her, but the latter is obviously not happy to see her unlike on stage. The shock probably stems from the pain bubbling in her chest – something Seulgi never realized. She has never seen Joy this upset in a long while. Whenever Joy is with her, she feels as if she’s on top of the world. Now with Joy shunning her like the plague, Seulgi has an unexplainable feeling inside her… almost as if a literal heartbreak is possible.

‘Sooyoung, what’s wrong?’

 

Irene sits alone in the waiting room, patiently waiting for her girlfriend to come and cuddle her like they always do. She’s already changed and make-up less but Wendy hasn’t appeared in the waiting room ever since the concert ended. She already sent a couple of texts and called a few times but Wendy didn’t answer either. It makes her worry for the young hamster she calls her girlfriend; Wendy has a high sense of responsibility and she won’t do things to make the people around her worry. After seeing what happened between the maknaes a while ago, it’s making Irene especially antsy tonight.

“Ugh… Son Seungwan, I’m going to murder you,” Irene grumbles under her breath. She still doesn’t like being this disheveled in her thinking over one person even though they’ve been dating for a good one and a half of years. “What is this? Making me worry so much…”

Just as Irene gathers her shit together and tries not to look like a desperate fool, she finds the youngest watching her from the corner like a hawk. Yeri is practically the eye in the sky when it comes to relationship matters among the five of them; because the person she fancies is a soloist, Yeri doesn’t have to bear any jealousy like the others have occasionally. It also puts her on the fence whenever there are fights between Irene and Wendy; the topic of the argument doesn’t matter whatsoever, Yeri is always the fair one.

Yeri points at the door and Irene groans aloud; being taught what to do by the youngest in the group (not to mention an age gap of 8 years) is pretty embarrassing. Nevertheless, Irene makes her way to the door… only to get almost hit in the face when it opens.

“Thanks for accompanying me, Taeyeon-unnie,” Wendy blushes. She’s still not used to hanging out with the Girls’ Generation members alone despite the close relationship both groups have.

Taeyeon waves to the other members in the room, ruffling Seulgi’s hair when the younger squeezes past the two women unintentionally blocking the doorway. She doesn’t say or show it, but the tension in the waiting room is visible. It’s obvious because Joy is nowhere to be seen and Irene is forcing a smile in front of her, which is so unlike the normally bubbly Red Velvet girls she knows. The kid leader might be oblivious sometimes but the one thing that doesn’t escape Taeyeon’s sharp eyes and instincts is how Irene’s eyes keep unconsciously travelling to her arm around Wendy’s waist.

It’s a dangerous thing to do, but Taeyeon makes sure to be cautious. She leans in and whispers into Wendy’s ear, “someone’s jealous I see. Love yourself, okay? Don’t get caught by the wrong people, Seungwan.”

With that mischievious but well-intentioned action by Taeyeon, the latter takes her leave from the waiting room. The room is left in utter silence as Wendy walks to the dresser in the corner, letting their stylist remove her make-up for her. Wendy hums a song to herself, seemingly oblivious to the boiling leader standing near the door still. She feels her chest a lot lighter and more comfortable after visiting Girls’ Generations’ waiting room. It might be because they have so much experience, so they understand whatever she’s going through too well.

The way they listened ever so kindly when Wendy was trying to so hard to express her messy emotions was amazing. They didn’t have to at all but because they thought of the Red Velvet members of family, they really treated them differently.

Yeri’s breath hitches when she sees Irene walking towards the dresser, her fists clenched by her sides – the eldest never hides her emotions well in front of Wendy.

“Did you have fun with the Unnies?”

“Sure did,” Wendy replies, though her tone is slightly different. She doesn’t look into Irene’s eyes through the mirror reflection as she usually does either. “They really let me open up about some stuff.”

Ouch.

Did Wendy not open up to her?

Honestly, the silence that followed Wendy’s revelation could slice throats or easily top the tension that was there before Taeyeon excused herself. It was obvious that Wendy was not happy with Irene because she and Irene are usually attached to the hip after concerts. Even if they weren’t, Wendy isn’t normally this quiet. She always wants to see the group interacting and being honest with each other instead of a puppet-manufactured one.  The Wendy sitting in this room is different, but Yeri has a strong feeling it’s for the best.

Her eyes trail over to the other abnormally quiet one – Kang Seulgi.

There’s no reason for Seulgi to be this quiet even if Wendy is; granted that they’re usually the partners-in-crime but her silence doesn’t make sense. Seulgi is only quiet when she feels sad, and it’s near impossible because she did amazing tonight.

The night of SMTOWN concert does wonders.

 

*

The journey in the car is unusually tense as well, not forgetting one of their members are heading home on her own. The other four members are left in this pit of darkness, with Irene fretting over two things in particular – Wendy’s treatment towards her and Joy’s sudden rise in temperament. Something must have gone wrong in tonight’s performance because the two most cheerful members behaving this way? It’s high unlikely that the issue is small. Irene shakes her head, she should have seen this coming after all the odd things that happened earlier in the waiting room.

Yeri silently thanks God when the dreadful ride finally comes to an end. She picks up her bag and thanks the manager, dragging Wendy by the arm into their house. Before Irene blows her top, she has to try and sound Wendy out first.

“Manager-oppa, where’s Sooyoung?” Seulgi asks, her voice cracking. She can’t stop thinking about how Joy practically brushed her off at the corridor earlier on. “I thought you said we have to come home together if it’s at this time of the night.”

“Well… Sooyoung is still on her way home. Tonight, is an exception for her because she has something on her mind.”

Irene sighs and halts Seulgi from asking any more questions; it’s clear their manager was also forced into letting Joy wander around on her own. She gets out of the car reluctantly; she has completely no idea how to face her girlfriend after everything tonight. Wendy doesn’t treat her like that even when there’s something bothering her and it hurts – it really does. Although Irene knows Wendy tends to hide things to herself most of the time, they usually talk throughout the night in order to help Wendy let out her bottled up feelings.

Those talks used to be something they did every night… until that rainy day in the dorm when their manager advised certain members to carry out more fanservice in order to please their fans after delivering some pizza to them.

 

~

 

“Yerim-ah! Bring back Seungwan’s pillow. Now.”

A loud groan leaves Yeri’s lips as she stomps back to the sofa, tossing Wendy’s baby blue pillow at Irene. She can’t even mess around with her favourite unnie because Irene is always around – Wendy is the easiest to tease because she will never fight back; all she does is whine until she gets her things back. The Seungwan at home is not too different from the Wendy on stage; she’s just as nice and honest. Though there is one thing she can’t show on stage, and that’s how much she actually loves their dear leader.

It’s painful to pretend.

That’s why none of the members dare to tease her about it, because they can, or at least try to understand the pain of pretending not to have feelings for someone so close.

The doorbell rings incessantly, and Wendy rushes to get it. She’s practically starving after the numerous hours of practice the whole week and without a proper diet at that. 

“Manager-unnie! Thanks for bringing the pizza over!” Wendy yells, grabbing the two boxes of pizza. She rushes into the kitchen with a bright expression, gathering the cutlery they’re going to need. “Yes! I can’t believe I finally get to eat like this again.”

Wendy almost chokes on her own saliva when she hears laughter behind her and she turns around in slight shock, her eyes widening in slight embarrassment. Irene giggles to herself, her slim body leaning against the doorway. If there’s anyone Wendy doesn’t want to show her embarrassing side to, it’s Irene. She can’t afford to when Irene happens to be one of the most sought-after idols, whether by men or women. A bad side of Wendy’s usually perfect self is equal to one up for the others; they have just as many, if not more talents than her.

As if Irene could read the thoughts going through Wendy’s mind, she walks forward and wraps her arms around Wendy’s waist from behind. Hugs are her favourite though a frown appears on her face when she feels Wendy’s extremely toned abs.

“Baby, you’ve lost more weight,” Irene complains, her hands running up and down the ridges of Wendy’s abs. She likes that Wendy is keeping fit but this is ridiculous – Wendy is easily half her size since pre-debut. Wendy used to look a lot healthier and happier… “Please, you need to stop. You’re going to harm your body.”

Wendy simply smiles in return; it’s better not to promise anything regarding her diet and the food she eats. She can’t do anything if the company is insisting that her size isn’t desirable enough to be an idol. Plus, it’s not exactly something she can deny when there are people who are probably thinking it too. Irene is strength and the members are her motivation to carry on – as long as they’re always by her side, Wendy doesn’t mind losing weight to make the group look better and stand out against others.

Anything for her second family.

Irene growls and grabs Wendy’s shoulder, “don’t you dare think you’ll be allowed to lose more weight, Son Seungwan. I won’t allow it and the girls will probably murder you first so don’t even try.”

The reply is unheard as their manager chases them into the living room, making the members sit together for the tiny announcement she’s going to give. She doesn’t know if it’s a good thing for the members because there will be potential problems arising after that. Nonetheless, it is a part of her job as their manager and hopefully, the members can understand her position. Irene will no doubt try her best to execute it but the rest of them are still young. It’ll probably sound dumb to do this. It’s going to be too difficult to convince all of them tonight like she hopes.

There is a sense of foreboding spreading through Wendy’s body, and she can feel sweat droplets forming on her forehead. She isn’t a superstitious person but this time, there’s something off about this meeting at home.

“So according to the management, fans have been shipping um… Seulgi and Irene together for quite long and it’s one of the most popular ships around. So, they suggested more fanservice and it’ll be good if Wendy hangs around Joy more.”

That night, Wendy didn’t say a single thing and went to bed without her usual warm milk before sleeping. She usually has supper in the kitchen with Irene followed by some heart-to-heart talks every Friday but tonight is the only exception…

Thereafter, followed many exceptions…

 

~

 

Irene furrows her eyebrows when she sees Wendy close to the edge of the bed; since when did Wendy sleep so far away from her? The hamster usually tries to inch towards her as close as possible, even if it gets too hot in the middle of the night. Cuddling is a given when they're both at home. She doesn’t like how Wendy is behaving lately; avoiding her, staying with other idols when they could be spending time together and last of all, not wanting to cuddle before bed? It’s almost as if a stranger is the one she’s sharing the same bed with now, not her familiar Son Seungwan anymore.

The bed dips slightly, and Wendy jumps awake. She had been trying to keep her eyes open so she’d know when it was safe to fall asleep without being questioned.

“I know you’re awake, Seungwan.”

“I fell asleep for a bit,” Wendy admits. She doesn’t know what else she can possibly say at this point in time. Anything she says is most likely going to make Irene blow and it’s not needed; Irene has a schedule tomorrow that requires her to wake up earlier than all of them. “You should sleep. It won’t be good to have huge eyebags for tomorrow.”

Irene gently holds Wendy’s shoulder, forcing the shorter woman to turn over so they’re lying down face to face. She doesn’t know why Wendy is suddenly behaving like this and she won’t be able to focus at work tomorrow if she doesn’t get it sorted out by tonight. Another dagger is pushed into her chest when she sees Wendy try to face the ceiling instead of her – this is not only strange, but one of the most painful things Irene has to witness throughout their relationship.

“Baby, please… look at me.”

Wendy relents at the sound of Irene’s pleas and she turns, only to regret it ten-fold at the tears pooling in the corners of Irene’s eyes. She can’t bear to see Irene cry because it never happens, and she always feels helpless whenever it does.

It also makes her realise something.

The only one who has probably seen Irene cry off-stage is Seulgi… again. Why is it any surprise again? The two of them have spent so much time together during their trainee days. God damn it. Why did Wendy have to fall for someone who was loved by every single person she knows?

“Seungwan, please,” Irene softly mumbles, tucking her face into the crook of Wendy’s neck. She can tell Wendy is on the verge of pulling away but she’s not allowing it. If she’s not getting anything out of her girlfriend tonight, then tis conversation would have to wait.

Having Irene in her arms is amazing; Wendy always feels as if she’s on top of the world whenever they’re in bed together. She loves it because she knows that at the end of the day, Irene still chooses to come back into her arms and retire for the night. Going to sleep together and waking up to see Irene’s face first thing in the morning is something Wendy enjoys greatly…. Does Irene still feel the same way? Or has that changed along with the level of fanservice?

Wendy doesn’t know.

Or, doesn’t want to know.

 

*

 

Irene wakes up alone with blankets surrounding her body; no wonder she slept so warmly even on a cold morning like this. She looks around the room, trying to realign her sight with the beams of sunlight coming in. Her girlfriend isn’t here to wake her up? Wendy’s behaving out of sorts beyond comprehension; nothing spells normal and okay at all. First, the whole avoiding her plan since last night’s concert and even in bed. Now, Wendy doesn’t wake her up for breakfast like she always does. She can’t put her finger on it; it’s too tricky but her gut feeling doesn’t say anything.

Nonetheless, she goes downstairs in the hopes of trying to find her precious hamster. If she can’t get Wendy to talk to her in the room, perhaps she can try and corner her in the kitchen.

“Unnie? Have you seen Seungwan-unnie?”

“Yerim?” Irene makes a face, trying to get Yeri’s arms off her waist. She still finds it odd when Yeri wants to get touchy with her, especially since the youngest is always teasing her about her age. “Isn’t she in the kitchen?”

Yeri shakes her head with a pout; she was starving last night but decided to go into the room early lest some conflict arose. For that, she expected a good breakfast but there wasn’t any, which is usually prepared by Wendy herself. She usually complains that Wendy’s food isn’t good but she’d do anything to take her words back if Wendy would just show herself. Her heart doesn’t feel at ease if Wendy is out of the house so early in the morning without a note or any sort of reminder.

“Seriously, what is up with her?”

Joy almost snorts from the sofa; she has her arms crossed over her chest with an unpleasant expression on her face. Even she, a third-party, can see where the problem lies exactly, yet the one involved can’t see the beginning of it. “Unnie, I’ve never seen you this dense before, and I hope you snap out of it before Seungwan-unnie comes back home.” Joy doesn’t want to elaborate more and she goes back into her own room; there’s no breakfast so might as well find out where Wendy is right now.

 

[Yerim – 09.30am]

Unnie

Where are you?

 

[Wendy – 09.31am]

With Taeyeon-unnie

I’m buying breakfast

 

Yeri almost whines at her phone when she sees Taeyeon’s name; why didn’t she think of asking earlier? She could have tagged along and spent more time with her favourite unnie.

“So, where is she?” Irene taps her foot impatiently, nails tapping on the counter.

“Buying breakfast with Taeyeon-unnie.”

Irene’s head is about to explode at that mere revelation; Wendy isn’t at home wither because she’s hanging out their senior? No, don’t get it wrong. Irene has nothing against Taeyeon and never will have, but Wendy isn’t one to initiate such meetings with a senior idol so easily because of her shy behavior around them.

“Next time, Kim Yerim,” Irene strides towards the youngest with her index finger pointing at Yeri, making sure Yeri knows she’s not playing around. “If she leaves this early and in a hurry too, then you better find out beforehand why. You know Seungwan doesn’t behave like that.”

“Behave like what?”

Irene immediately retracts her finger, internally smacking herself at the action she just portrayed towards Yeri. She can’t be serious, getting so angry with Yeri when she didn’t do anything wrong.

Wendy walks into the house with two boxes, containing salads and pastas. She feels bad for making Taeyeon run around with her the whole morning just to find food that satisfies all five of them at once. However, Taeyeon did give her some really valuable advice about keeping her emotions in check and knowing when to let them out; Wendy knows that it’s more important because this comes with experience. Everything that Taeyeon told her was spot on so far and it’s true that Wendy hates fanservice, but there are always bright sides to it.

“Come and get your own plates!”

Joy comes rushing out of the room and into the kitchen at once, brushing past Seulgi just like she did the night before. She just wants to have a full tummy and leave the house.

“Oh my God, Unnie!” Joy screams in pure delight, seeing her favourite seafood pasta. She throws her arms around Wendy’s smaller frame and presses kisses against her cheek. “You can only get this from the shop near the airport!”

The shy grin on Wendy’s face that followed after Joy’s sharp revelation almost set Irene on fire – Wendy was running around the whole morning without telling Irene just to buy breakfast? Instead of doing that alone, Irene could have gone with her instead!

“Yeah well… Taeyeon-unnie offered to drive and accompany me so why not?”

AGAIN?!

Irene puts back all the cutlery she took for herself just now and leaves the kitchen in a huff, stomping her way back into her bedroom. She can’t grasp the fact that Wendy chose to spend time with Taeyeon early in the morning than Irene herself. Taeyeon is warm and always helpful towards them; that’s a given but Wendy should know better. Damn it. Why does Wendy always get under Irene’s skin so easily? It just doesn’t make sense. She can’t be feeling jealous over someone who's attached? 

Wendy pokes head through the doorway, “Baby?”

“Get out.”

A sigh leaves Wendy’s lips and she retracts her head, about to leave the room instead. She knows Irene's angry with her but she has literally no idea what to say or do to make Irene stop. Giving each other some time to breathe sounds feasible enough for Wendy.

“Yah! Come back and pacify me!”

“Coming!”

Irene almost coos at the puppy-eyed expression from Wendy but holds back when the memory of Wendy hanging out with Taeyeon last night and all morning comes to mind. She's not angry... just disappointed that Wendy chose to leave the house without telling her first like she always does. Or she could be too sensitive too. Maybe Wendy just forgot since she wanted to get breakfast for all five of them, not to mention the fact that all of them have different tastes too. Perhaps she could be proud of Wendy for being ever-so-thoughtful instead of getting angry over something so minor.

Even if she did have the intention of scolding Wendy before, she can’t after seeing how sad Wendy looks now. Irene cracks a smile and cups Wendy’s cheeks, pressing their foreheads together.

“Let me know if you’re leaving the house early next time, okay?” Irene whispers, her breath tickling Wendy’s lips. She can’t be bothered to remain angry anymore; no possibility of it when Wendy’s face is in this proximity from hers.

Wendy smiles, closing her eyes when Irene leans in, “Yes, Ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to give criticism! I will take them into consideration & try to keep incorporating better ideas in my writing :3


	3. Two

Park Sooyoung has two contrasting personalities to her whole self; one on stage - Joy - and the other - Sooyoung - shows itself when she feels comfortable with the people around her. She has always made sure to remain professional and maintain a distance on stage because it’s just a persona used specially for her job. Her charisma is not something to be trifled with or doubted in the least but off-stage, Joy is terribly affectionate and full of aegyo towards her members. She is proud of it because it brings the members laughter in ways she never thought it would when they were first chosen to form the group.

The first person who approached her to make friends was Kang Seulgi; the talented queen among the trainees then. Seulgi’s long training period had amazed Joy when she first found out and Joy wanted to learn so much from the latter. She was overjoyed when she found out she’d be in the same group as Seulgi after the interim evaluation.

“Sooyoung?”

“Yes, Unnie?” Joy answers without turning around. She already knows she won’t be able to control her expression in front of one of the two involved parties in her horrible mood. It’s not her fault and Joy knows it, which is why she feels worse. “Sorry I wasn’t performing during practice. My back was aching so bad.”

Irene doesn’t respond to that sad excuse, because it’s nowhere near the actual truth that Irene wants to hear. She can see through Joy’s lies at once but she isn’t going to force the younger to open up because everyone needs their space sometimes. It’s obvious from the way Joy isn’t having breakfast with them or even if she does, she leaves the table first. The one who always leaves first is Wendy, because of her crazy diet and Joy is the last to leave the table along with Seulgi.

Then again, everyone’s been behaving weirdly ever since the night of the SMTOWN concert so Irene doesn’t want to question it. She might not be ready to receive the various answers that could be causing this. Being a leader doesn’t mean she’s capable of handling things head-on yet.

Irene moves to stand beside Joy, her eyes scanning the latter’s study desk. She can’t help but smile tenderly when she sees the books on atop it; her girls are still studying to improve themselves.

“Seulgi tells me you’ve been avoiding her, Sooyoung-ah. What’s going on with the two of you?” Irene takes on a sterner tone this time. She’s not playing around, neither does she want more unbelievable excuses. The longer this issue lasts, the more obvious it’s going to be. “She’s quite upset about it but she’s too scared to talk to you.”

What kind of response is Irene or Seulgi, in that sense, looking for? There’s nothing in the world Joy wants than to maintain the group peace but she needs time to build up her act again. It takes a lot of strength to pretend nothing is bothering her, particularly because everything is happening in front of her.

Joy sits on her swivel chair with her head tilted towards the ceiling, staring blankly into space. She hates being involved in drama but how to go back to acting normal towards Seulgi? If someone were to ask Joy about how she’s going to handle this, she can safely say she has no freaking idea. Seulgi is one of the purest, most innocent people Joy has ever seen but this is an odd level of pure. Seulgi never seems to get the hint when Joy tries to tell her something on the quiet… and that happens to include her blossoming feelings for the dancing bear.

What to do?

 

*

 

Taeyeon sits alone in the café, reminiscing memories of her group members and the hard times that have occurred between them. They really proved everyone wrong and became the legendary girl group everyone said they wouldn’t ever be when they first debuted. They might be busy with solo activities right now but she has faith that they will come back as a full group really soon. It is because of her members that she has the strength to go solo and do well in her endeavors; though her lack of ability to express these important, heart-warming feelings might remain in a torturous cycle because of the things she hears from the public.

It is unfortunate, but she is noticing someone else retreating into shell of their own self. She doesn’t want to stand by without doing anything or she might have to watch that person regret it in time to come. She hates it because it’s one of her precious dongsaengs involved.

“How troubling.”

“What is, Unnie?”

Taeyeon rolls her eyes when she sees the young one sitting in front of her; she’s been waiting alone for almost half an hour now. Here comes one of her closest dongsaengs, walking in without a hint of remorse.

“You’re late, Kim Yerim.”

Yeri pouts wistfully, sending Taeyeon one of her most charming smiles (though it doesn’t work like she expects it to). She hands Taeyeon a packet of gummies she purchased on the way over here, giggling when the older woman starts beaming like a child at the sight of her gummy snacks. So much for being a mature, wise woman turning 30 soon, huh? Yeri honestly can’t imagine it happening; Taeyeon has so many different sides to her and most of them don’t even meet the late twenties range. Her personality is the one thing Yeri looks up to the most, because she's just so strong in handling everything that gets thrown at her face or onto her plate. 

It is one of the reasons why Yeri comes to Taeyeon for advice, and this is one of those times right now. She knows there is tension in the dorm and it happens to be between two best friends on either side. Joy and Seulgi; who get along the best when it comes to having fun together aren't speaking to each other. Irene and Wendy; who happens to be a couple are on the verge of having their relationship on the rocks.

“Unnie,” Yeri starts hesitantly, catching Taeyeon’s attention instantly. Hesitance never comes from the younger one. “That day at the waiting room, you could feel it too. And that’s why you hugged Wendy-unnie so tightly and for so long, right?”

“Yes.”

A straight answer isn’t exactly what Yeri is expecting, but it assures her that Taeyeon is nowhere near involved in the couple’s problem either. She, being the piggy in the middle, can’t do much to help because all of them have been treating her the same. Getting involved in the couple’s issues doesn’t seem to be smart or something Yeri would do; trying to solve the misunderstanding between Joy and Seulgi is just as impossible – the murderous way Joy glared at her two days ago when she took her phone as a joke is enough warning as it is.

“I know Wendy finds it difficult to watch Irene and Seulgi having fun together so I made sure to explain the excessive fanservice,” Taeyeon says softly, sipping her hot chocolate. She can’t even smile though. “But if Irene isn’t going to assure Wendy every now and then, they’re not going to last. I’ve been through it too that’s why Wendy stayed with us in the waiting room to listen.”

“Unnie…” Yeri frowns, gently patting Taeyeon’s hand resting on the table.

It’s okay.

Taeyeon will be okay as long as she doesn’t let the people around her sink into the same mistake she did – she too missed the opportunity to assure her girlfriend of the past, and she regrets it to this very day.

“Help them out, Yerim.”

Yeri gulps awkwardly; she doesn’t know how to tell the older members that she wants to help. It is, after all, none of her business and there will always be a barrier because of their age differences. She is close to all of them and perhaps goes overboard with her teasing sometimes but emotional problems are not easy. 

“I’ll try my best, Unnie.”

 

You see... Yeri doesn't always seem to be at her brightest, which is why Wendy relishes that moment whenever it happens in front of her. She was called out by Yeri to have some ice cream together after her recording so here they are, sitting in a dessert cafe with none of the other members around. The truth is: Wendy guessed Taeyeon would tell Yeri sooner or later, considering how close the two of them are. It is normal, almost second nature, for Taeyeon to get someone else to help if she can't do it personally. Asking Yeri out of the remaining members is kind of a question mark still though; is it the smartest decision to be made? 

Well, Yeri's idea of help is making Wendy pay for her dessert combo and watching her eat to her heart's content...? Nevermind, Wendy will keep her mouth shut instead; their youngest might be a satan in disguise but when she gets worried, her concern goes above and beyond.

“Unnie… I know you’re not okay. I know you don’t like seeing Seulgi-unnie and Irene-unnie so close together.”

Wendy clenches her jaw visibly, crossing her arms over her chest. She really detests this topic more than anything else in the world, and that’s talking about her weight included. She doesn’t like it when the people around her start talking about how Seulgi and Irene would make a good-looking couple even if she knows it herself. These are the kind of reminders that used to make Wendy work harder to be compatible with Irene but not anymore; now they just cause pain. It breaks Wendy's heart to keep imagining Irene's life without herself but the sight of Irene and Seulgi in each other's arms keep appearing in her dreams; the only place where Wendy can feel at ease with herself. 

It's almost as if fate is showing her a sign: that maybe... Irene deserves Seulgi instead. Seulgi, who is perfect in every single way and definitely charismatic enough for fans to be accepting should they get exposed. There are already people who will most likely wish Seulgi and Irene every happiness but for Wendy and Irene? 

“True. I hate it when they’re together. I hate the fact that my best friend is better than me in every way.” Wendy’s nostrils are flaring in slight anger as her emotions work up into a knot. She bites her lower lip to hold back the tears pooling in her gorgeous eyes. “I really don’t like it when fans ship them like that; it doesn’t make me angry but it hurts. It hurts, Yerim. And even with that, Irene won’t ever realise.”

Irene?

Yeri’s initial frown grows even deeper; she doesn’t remember Wendy ever calling Irene by her stage name, mostly because Wendy adores Irene’s birth name so much. It isn't something too big to pay attention to but it's one of the tiniest details that matter the most sometimes. One good example will be how Joy doesn't seem to be around at home as often anymore; she doesn't come out for movie nights as long as Seulgi is there first. Or it could be the times where Wendy asks Yeri if Irene and Seulgi are alone in the living room before coming out - neither of these things used to happen.

It worries and pains Yeri to know that fanservice is the issue standing between the four members. She hates being addressed as the maknae most of the time but she wants to come home and be welcomed by her joyful unnies who always love and pamper her like mothers. Now coming home seems to be a question for Yeri too. 

“I hate that we’re on domestic terms, Seungwan-unnie,” Yeri admits albeit bashfully, though that vanishes the moment she sees Wendy grinning at her like Cheshire cat. “But I know Seulgi-unnie and Irene-unnie love you very much; their actions don’t mean their true feelings. You know that.”

Wendy changes the topic as soon as she gets the opportunity, and Yeri doesn’t stop her this time. She can tell some load has at least been let off Wendy’s mind and for that, she’s thankful. Yeri doesn’t always have a good way with words, neither do her actions exactly spell 'L-O-V-E' and that’s why she often sees her teasing as a form of affection. Wendy, on the other hand, is so smooth with both her words and actions effortlessly hence the nickname ‘Butter Wannie’. She knows how to make it sound as if she’s fine when in reality she’s not – and that’s exactly what Yeri is (unfortunately) missing at this point.

Wendy is fine.

Seungwan isn’t.

 

[Sooyoungie - 04.15pm]

where are you unnie

can you come get me

 

[Seungwan - 04.20pm]

sure

want me to bring Yerim?

 

[Sooyoungie - 04.23pm]

why not?

 

Joy keeps her phone in her pocket, sniffling into her sweater paws as she watches the crew have fun without her. She's usually a good sport for these gatherings and whatnot after the end of a drama but her thoughts are jumbled up and her emotions are wild. It could be because of the slight fever she's having, but the part where Seulgi and her aren't talking? Probably taking a bigger portion of herself. Now, Joy is seemingly strong and always cheerful but there are so many things about herself she isn't happy with. Why is she ignoring Seulgi like that but getting upset all by herself? It's not like the whole ignoring fiasco is affecting Seulgi in any way.

This party was just an excuse for her to get out of the house where Seulgi is currently hibernating in and to minimize any chances of them bumping into each other. It could be worse; Irene and Seulgi cuddling on the sofa like they've been doing recently.

“Joy?”

Her co-star, Moon Gayoung smiles, though the worry in her eyes is evident. She can tell Joy isn’t feeling well and with the way her face is turning pale, the latter should be at home resting instead.

“Unnie… sorry, I’m such a party pooper this evening.” Joy pouts; she feels terrible about it too. Parties are fun and games but it’s been a complete bummer.

“Don’t worry about it – I’ll wait for your members with you,” Gayoung offers kindly, ignoring the way Joy is planning to protest. She has a terribly intimidating face when she doesn’t smile but she does care for the younger one. “And there’s nothing to apologise for. You’re sick and that’s that. It’s not like you wanted to fall sick.”

The comfortable silence makes up for Joy’s sour mood and emotions; she's thankful that her co-star is willing to sit with her like that but she's seemingly ruining the party. When she's unwell, everything about her screams burden. Joy hates it. Joy hates that she falls sick and finds everything a pain to do. She can't bear to see anyone else other than her members because she feels so uncomfortable and terribly frustrated at the world. She only remembers the times where Seulgi would stay home and take care of her instead of going to the gym or dance studio for practice. Or how Seulgi would try to prepare meals even if she can't cook to save her life.

Before she knows it, tears begin to roll down her face. She doesn’t make a single noise, simply wiping at her eyes without so much as a tiny sniffle. Crying is not an everyday activity for someone like Joy; she doesn’t do too well sadness and it happens to be a problem.

“Your members are here, Joy.”

Joy looks up and spots the worried expression on Wendy’s face; she almost breaks down right there and then. She feels herself getting enveloped into Wendy’s warm arms, and her tears start pouring again. Being comforted by her members always feels different compared to others, and that’s notable. Wendy swallows uncomfortably; she feels shitty for not noticing there was something wrong with Joy before. Being one of the older ones means looking out for their young members first and ensuring their own health or emotional state before themselves.

“We’re here, Sooyoung… just cry.”

In full view of everyone, Joy releases all her bottled feelings, sobbing into Wendy’s shoulders. She doesn’t care where she is or who she’s with anymore. Why should it matter when she’s having difficulty managing her own emotions? No one should be judging her for anything at this point; not that they ever had a right to. Tears are a forbidden thing and Joy has never once shed a tear over an emotion she feels for herself. She cried during their concert because she wasn’t there for so many group schedules; the aching gap in her heart was undeniable.

In Wendy's arms, Joy finally breaks.

 

*

 

[SeulgiBear – 00.15am]

you guys?

aren’t you coming back yet?

 

Seulgi’s teeth chatter against her nails non-stop; she hasn’t seen the members the entire day and they're still not home at this time of the night. There shouldn’t be any reason for the three to be out so late when they have no individual schedules for the whole week... it just doesn't make any sense. She opted to stay at home the whole night instead of going back to her family's house; because even though Joy is attending the after-party, it is supposed to wrap up before 11. Perhaps if she got a chance to talk to Joy tonight, there won’t be as much tension between the group. Yet then again, it doesn’t answer her other burning question on hand – Wendy’s cold shoulder towards her.

Wendy might seem fine with her on the outside and all but it’s clear that they aren’t as close as they used to be. Seulgi can feel that Wendy gets close to upset when she’s around. Things they used to do together don’t happen anymore; café dates, horror movie marathons – no more. It can’t be because of Irene because they did all those even after they became a couple.

“They can throw away their phones at this rate!” Irene almost shouts in exasperation; she knows Wendy doesn’t use her phone as often as the others but picking up her calls should be fine. She’s not just angry; she’s completely disappointed in the three of them. “And why is Son Seungwan not picking up my call?”

“Unnie…”

Irene continues pacing up and down in the living room, both frustrated and worried all at once. She can feel a stinging sensation at the back of her eyes; it only means she’s going to cry anytime now and it can’t happen. She can’t break down now; her kids aren’t even back home yet. Is it just guilt? Or is there a sense of foreboding too? Wendy always answers her call, even when she’s at schedules because she absolutely hates making Irene worry unnecessarily. Answering phone calls are basic between them; it's almost an unspoken rule. Even Irene, who isn't a fan of using so much technology, never neglects Wendy's texts or calls.

It's a silent promise to always be there for each other no matter what the circumstances are. It's also a promise to never forget their partner; the first person that they contact will automatically be their significant other. 

Seulgi can’t explain the little pinch she feels in her chest when she sees Irene trying to hide her tears. She really doesn’t have an explanation   that will appease the members or herself. It’s a part of her nature, perhaps, if she can even say that. Whilst Irene is the leader, Seulgi is the second oldest by age. She should be sharing some burden.

“Unnie…”

Irene shakes her head when she feels Seulgi’s arms around her; she knows she’s going to break. Her members are her strength, her will to carry on in this industry and incredibly pathetic excuse of an equalized career. Why should she be crying when they're most likely out and having fun? Thinking about her family and her members have always brought Irene more happiness than she ever expected; Irene always becomes ‘Joohyun’ when she’s with them. More than anything, she found the love of her life in the same industry and in the same group as her. If there's a single feeling Irene has, it's gratitude towards everyone as a whole.

“Don’t cry, Unnie,” Seulgi hushes the shorter woman, running her fingers through Irene’s hair. She knows it’s tough; honestly, things have been getting worse ever since the night of the concert. It may be worse for the couple if her friendship with Wendy is already this estranged. “Seungwan is fine and she’s with the two, most likely. She’ll take care of them just fine.”

The cries stop and soon, it’s just sniffling and the drying up of tears. The assurance that Wendy will take care of the two younger ones is one thing but it also brings Irene’s attention to something else. Wendy might prioritize many things but she doesn’t for herself. If Joy and Yeri are with her then the three of them will come back responsibly. Irene wonders just a bit more, and she decides that she isn’t crying because she’s just worried. It’s also the guilt filling her entire body – if she bothered to find out where Wendy was going today, then she would at least have some idea.

Why does she always have regrets like this nowadays?

 

*

 

“Park Sooyoung!” Wendy heaves in exhaustion, her tiny body finally feeling the toll on itself after dragging Joy home from the nearby bar. She disagreed with the drinking option after they realized Joy was running a fever but with Yeri and Joy ganging up against her, Wendy doesn’t have much power. “I am going to kill you when you wake up tomorrow!”

Joy whines back in response, her face still tucked into the crook of Wendy’s neck. She can feel the strong alcohol travelling around her body but it feels so good… much to the stereotype of it making someone feel shitty. She feels worse when she’s sober for some reason and it’s really one of the worst feelings ever. The fact that alcohol makes her feel better is saying something: one that shouldn’t happen among the five of them. Joy herself is clear about the boundaries she’s pushing this time round, and she prays with all her heart Irene can find it in herself to understand.

Yeri is just… tired.

“Unnie! Open up!”

“Yerim, the keys are in my bag. Take them and open the door yourself,” Wendy chides; it’s bad enough she can’t think straight because of Joy’s weight but Yeri should know better than to shout in the middle of the night like that. She groans when Yeri slumps on their wooden bench instead. With a sigh, Wendy puts Joy down beside the youngest and takes her keys herself, “when did I become the unofficial nanny for you two?”

It’s clear as day – no matter how much Wendy complains, her love for her members is irreplaceable. She can lament about going the extra mile just to make her members happy or doing things for them when they order but Wendy won’t change her mind if she’s asked again.

“The door is open, Yerim. Help me get Sooyoung in and you can go to bed at once, I promise,” Wendy pats Yeri’s head. She knows it’s tiring to be stuck in the middle of this mess, more so because Yeri is the youngest and she should be enjoying her time at home. It's fairly obvious that while the problem doesn't necessarily concern Yeri, she's trying to stay away from home. 

“I’ll make warm milk for you.”

The three move into the house with some difficulty, trying to be as silent as they possibly can be. It won’t be likely that Seulgi and Irene are waiting for them anyhow; they’ve been too busy with each other to know about anything else recently. It sounds painful; heartless even but it's facts. Other than their little jealous spat during the night of the concert and the day after, Wendy hasn't even talked to Irene properly. She tries to pretend everything is fine but whether Irene believes her act is something else. If Irene isn't falling for it then Wendy is thankful she's not saying another word about the weird atmosphere between them almost 24/7 now.

Yeri moves forward and supports Joy from the right, taking the lead so they could put Joy on the sofa first. She might not be surprised at many things but what she did not expect… is to see Seulgi and Irene embracing in the middle of the hallway. Worst still, Seulgi’s lips on Irene’s forehead.

“Unnie?”

Irene turns to the source of the voice and almost passes out when she sees the look of disbelief on Yeri and Wendy’s faces. She separates from Seulgi as if an electrical spark hit the both of them all of a sudden. 

“Can one of you come and get Joy at least?” Wendy asks, her eyes averting from both Seulgi and Irene’s eyes. She hates the fact that she can’t even pretend to be okay right now. “My arm’s going to break, Yerim. Can you hold her a bit more?”

Yeri glares at Seulgi, silently telling her to get her ass over here before an explosion occurs. She is angry and boiling inside – god, she can’t even imagine what Wendy must be feeling after seeing that. Although she teases Wendy the most because of how obedient the older woman is, Yeri also has a soft spot for Wendy's empathy. Everything Wendy does has been for other people up till now, but Yeri is going to do something about it. She can't and will never understand why Wendy hasn't said anything yet; it's angering to Yeri, who's not even involved.

How can Wendy, being the girlfriend, not feel a little bit angry at least? 

“I’m going to the kitchen to get water,” Wendy pulls away from Joy as soon as Seulgi is near enough. She doesn’t think she can hold it together for any longer.

Seulgi doesn’t even have a chance to open her mouth to say something and Yeri hands Joy over to Irene; she is not going to let Wendy be alone in the kitchen now. She knows Irene wants to follow Wendy but it isn't too smart of an idea. 

Yeri enters the kitchen and her heart shatters at the sight of Wendy staring blankly at the kitchen counter, her hands balled into tight fists. She gulps nervously when she sees Wendy's fists shaking, her eyes squeezed shut. This is a new level of anger Yeri is seeing; she can barely find a way to comfort Wendy without pushing another button. The last thing Yeri wants is to make Wendy even angrier without the intention to. She can actually feel the tinge of betrayal in the air and it’s all coming in naturally. Yeri is doubting her own thoughts but it’s clear what Wendy thinks as of now. 

“Unnie… it’s not wha–”

“Hush, Yerim.” Wendy’s tone is clear and concise; the sharpness of it sending chills down Yeri’s spine. She takes out the pot from the cabinet without another word before grabbing the carton of milk from the fridge. She promised to make warm milk for Yeri before bed. “Go and check on Sooyoung, will you?”

Yeri wraps her arms around Wendy’s waist from the back, giving her a tender squeeze. Her heart aches so much for Wendy. It’s bad enough that Wendy doesn’t get a chance to spend time with Irene even as fanservice… now coming home to find Seulgi kissing Irene’s forehead when they’re busy taking care of a drunk Joy? Assumptions are bad but that scene alone is enough - enough to ruin a relationship. 

 

“Unnie… I… I want to throw up…”

Irene rubs Joy’s back as the younger brunette throws up into the trash can beside her bed; she knew this would happen so she brought spare plastic bags to replace those in the trash can. She hasn’t seen Joy drink till this state before, not even in close. Tipsy? High? Perhaps a little but that’s because Joy lets herself go once in a while. For the person with the highest alcohol tolerance to behave like this, Irene finds it more painful than annoying. She hates the smell of alcohol and cigarettes with a passion because it turns people unrecognizable within moments. 

Oddly enough, it seems she’s the one turning unrecognizable without the use of alcohol. Everything is going the wrong way and definitely not the reason Irene became leader. She needs to find a solution to this unspoken issue.

Starting with her own relationship.

 

‘Son Seungwan, go to sleep. You’re not making things better for yourself by thinking of useless things.’

Hugging a pillow to her chest tightly, Wendy forces herself to count sheep in the hopes of falling asleep without knowing. She needs to stop thinking about the scene she witnessed when she came home; it might not be what she thinks after all. It doesn't excuse the fact that Seulgi kissed Irene, regardless of whetherit was on the cheek or forehead. Irene knows Wendy gets severely insecure sometimes; hugs can be bad but kisses? If Seulgi doesn't know then fine, but Irene should have a pretty good excuse for pulling away only after seeing them at the door. 

The door opens, and Wendy begins to panic.

The sound of Irene’s footsteps coming closer to the bed isn’t something she’d normally dread but tonight is an exception. Wendy doesn’t want to see Irene’s face yet; she can’t have her heart soften like it always does anymore. Every time she lets something slide, something comes back to bite. Wendy knows she's getting stepped on everywhere because she doesn't do anything to help herself but how can she? How can she when the one who's hurting her is Irene? The only woman who has ever mattered in this context to Wendy; the one who taught Wendy what love is. 

Loving herself more than Irene doesn't seem feasible or possible.

“Seungwan-ah, if you're listening, please believe me. We didn’t do anything like what Yerim saw… I was worried about you so Seulgi was comforting me.”

Irene is practically struggling to keep her sentences coherent but it's still a floating question mark as to whether Wendy will understand or believe her. She knows Wendy is hurt; it's even more obvious after the lack of response Wendy gave after seeing them in the middle of the room embracing like that. Wendy cannot remain calm because Irene knows for sure that if Wendy was caught hugging someone else in that close proximity, she'd make sure to rip their arms off each other. It's considered more than a hundred percent normal for a lover to react that way. 

“Seungwan.”

“I believe you, Joohyun.” Wendy mutters, not changing her position. She can’t afford to turn and allow herself to soften her resolve anymore. If she doesn’t start protecting her heart properly, she’s going to end up irreparable. “Can we please just go to sleep and drop this topic? There’s no point going on and on about it if you say it isn’t true.”

Irene watches in silence as Wendy tightens her grip on the duvet over her head; Wendy always chooses to hide her face when she is trying to avoid something. It's been a defense mechanism for as long as Irene has known Wendy for, and it's been occuring more ever since they debuted. During their trainee days, Irene made sure to check on Wendy every night to see if she was hiding underneath the blanket and Wendy listened to her effortlessly. They stayed up late and talked about their own problems, how they rather live a normal life but eventually chose to debut because they had each other. 

The courage comes from an unknown source, filling Irene’s veins. She tugs on the covers and continues being a pest, ignoring Wendy’s incoherent grumbling. She already knows Wendy is irritated but she hasn’t reached her goal yet.

“Listen to me! I said nothing happened.”

Irene almost falls off the bed when Wendy leaps up from her position, tears flowing from her eyes. She’s angry and she can’t hold herself back from blowing up. Ripping the duvet from Irene’s grip, Wendy explodes.

“I SAID I BELIEVE YOU! WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT?”

With that being said, Wendy slams herself down on the bed with the covers over her again. She clamps down on her pillow, trying not to sob aloud. That outburst was already uncalled for but Wendy really couldn’t hold anything back. Before something else happens, Wendy forces herself to calm down and close her eyes. She feels the other side of the bed sink and Irene's warm body laying beside hers. Before she knows it, Irene's tiny body is shaking too.

Since when did they allow themselves to go to bed in tears?

Why does this always happen to them?

**Author's Note:**

> This is from my other account on AsianFanFics, do give it a read if you like heavy angst - there will be some trigger warnings along the way so also pay heed to that in case :) 
> 
> Feel free to give comments, I will read all with an open mind x


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